A couple of thoughts from a former Alaskan.

Up there I would run the studs 3-4 winters, then pick the studs out and turn them into summer tires.

The worst thing you can do to studs is to run them in the wrong direction. When you put them on the first time they establish a wear pattern.

If you put them on the other side of the car the next winter they will wear out faster than you can believe or just rip out of the tire. So mark the tires left or right and pay attention to it.

Another thing.... there are two types of studs. The center pins are a super-hard carbide or similar metal, but the outside sheath the pins are pressed into can be made of steel or a rust-free alloy.

The steel clad studs will usually rust out and throw the pins before the stud actually wears out. The alloy types last much longer.

Can they be replaced? Yes. I have done it but it is a lot of work. And because there are different length studs for different new tires, you generally end up with a re-stud job that has too much stud exposed or too little.

It is hard to match the stud to the amount of tire wear.

Are they worth the money? If you have a lot of ice, yes. If you just avoid one rear-end accident you have paid for the tires, the rims and the studs.

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